I share a suite on campus with a total of six guys, three of whom are B-movie junkies like myself. During a screening of "The Beast of Yucca Flats," we started joking about taking a drink every time the narrator said the word "Progress." That joke then began to evolve in to a drinking game, as we compiled a list of B-movie (especially 1950s and 60s B movies) tropes, the idea being, pop in a movie, and take a drink (not a shot; we're not suicidal -- additionally, we're not exactly part of the drinking and partying culture at the college) every time one of these tropes appeared in the movie. I used badmovies.org as an aide in developing the list.

Here's the list so far -- I was wondering if any of you fellow junkies had any suggestions for the list.

TAKE A DRINK IF...--Recycled footage of atomic testing is used.--You can see the strings holding up the flying saucer.--You can see the zipper on the monster.--The title of the film has some variation of "Atomic" or "Outer Space" in it.--The title of the film contains made-up words. (Thanks to Andrew for drawing my attention to this)--The hero's shirt comes off.--"Dinosaurs" are represented by lizards, caimans with fins glued on them, or armadillos.--A woman disobeys an order (i.e., "Get in the car and stay there!")--An ordinary animal "rampages" through a model train set.--A foreign scientist has all the answers.--There is an ominous opening narration. Criswell's opening to Plan 9 from Outer Space counts. --A fire extinguisher is used as a weapon, even though a REAL weapon is plainly visible.--A precocious brat knows more about the monster then the scientists do. --The monster goes after the leading lady, or the female character with the perkiest breasts. If these are two different characters and the monster goes after both, take two drinks. If the leading lady has the perkiest breasts, only take one drink.--"Atomic Energy", "Radiation" "Genetic Engineering" or “Hormones” are used as a scapegoat to explain something utterly and completely ridiculous, usually the origin of the monster (but possibly why a woman isn’t in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the male lead).--A Jacob's Ladder or beakers of colored liquid and dry ice are used to show that "Science" is going on.--"The End" is followed by a question mark.--There's a sheriff wearing a 10-gallon hat.--A witness is disbelieved due to being drunk.--"Thematic Mood Lightning"--A woman’s nipples are visibly erect, even through the bulkiest of sweaters. Bullet Bras don't count.--The scene abruptly and inexplicably switches back and forth between day and night. --A bottle of “Jack Daniels” is prominently displayed. (Thanks Andrew for drawing my attention to this)--The film contains some sort of thinly veiled (if not openly remarked upon) moral about the dangers of sexually liberated women.

What do you folks think? The plan, once we finalize the list, is to print it as a big poster and put it next to our communal TV, and then once a week (in additional to our usual weekly creature feature) play the game.

Additionally, we're considering a variant game in which we each have one can of cheap beer (because it would be wrong to spend more on alcohol than was spent on the production of the film), and time how long it takes us to finish the can compared to the running time of the film. And keep a running ranking of films based on this.

--The title of the film has some variation of "Atomic" or "Outer Space" in it.--The title of the film contains made-up words.

If you rented the video and the title still caught you by surprise...well, you may not need that extra drink.

--Rather than taking an obvious escape route (a.k.a. running away), when approached by a moster, or otherwise, the would be victim just stands there and screams.--In a perilous situation, a female character is miraculously saved by someone who came out of nowhere to distract the monster/killer. Two drinks if it is a black man who sacrifices himself to save someone else.--A perfectly running car, previously, now has trouble starting as danger approaches.--Shadows fall toward the lamp in a scene rather than away from it.--A cat, other animal, or drunk suddenly jumps out from somewhere.

Menard -- Oh man, how could I have forgotten about victims who stand and scream! That's a classic.

As for titles, I think those movies will probably be reserved for nights where we want to get a little wasted -- for example, after a major exam.

Patient7 -- Yes! The walking killer is always good. And someone at the end...that sort of thing always has me in tears laughing. When watching Plan 9, I can barely make it through any of Criswell's scenes.

-- Hero, while in the open, shoots and kills 50 bad guys shooting at him from cover; he's never hit.-- Hero's gun fires FAR too many bullets without reloading.-- Military leader involved in trying to solve the problem disbelieves the scientist about some fact or solution.-- Someone previously depicted as clueless suddenly has all the answers to the great mystery going on; corollary, someone finds a book that explains everything.-- You may have some fun with how often folks in those old 50's movies light up cigarettes. Of course, you could get pretty hammered that way!!

My girlfriend and I tested this last night, as I introduced her to THE GIANT GILA MONSTER and THE KILLER SHREWS. Since neither of us was particularly looking to drink alcohol last night, we used Dr. Pepper.

THE GIANT GILA MONSTER warranted eight drinks. One for an ominous opening narration, two for the sheriff repeatedly wearing a ten gallon hat, one for the French girl disobeying the singing hero, two witnesses disbelieved due to being drunk, and two for scenes of ordinary lizards rampaging through a model set.

THE KILLER SHREWS earned, in our estimation, six drinks. One for an ominous opening narration, which was followed immediately by "Thematic Mood Lightning", one for a foreign scientist having all the answers, one for "genetic engineering" being responsible for the creation of the monsters, and then while there was some debate, we counted two lightning scenes as thematic mood lightning instead of just being a reminder of the fact that there's a storm.

Anytime a car bursts into flames for reasons that, well...would not result in a car bursting into flames.Anytime a character previously thought to have been killed turns out to be alive.Anytime something explodes much, much larger than it should. Hand grenades don't actually blow up like a gallon bucket of pyrotechnic charges.Anytime a car hits something, resulting in it being vaulted way up into the air.

This is a variation of the "Stands and screams" item, any time the female lead, usually a scientist, doctor, reporter etc., who has repeatedly stated that she's just as strong and capable as any man, especially the male lead, gets hysterical and goes to pieces at the first sign of danger.

Logged

Science claims that hydrogen, because there is so much of it, is the building block of the universe, I dispute this, there is plenty more stupidity, and that is the building block of the universe. Frank Zappa